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JESSE` L. BRANSoN, or rtrrseune, PENNSYLVANIA,

Lettcrs .Patent No. 97,158, dated .November 23, 1869.

IMPRovismENT IN Loom.

The Schedule referred to in `these Letters Patent and making part of the same To all 'whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, JESSE L. BRANSON, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Looms; and I do hereby 'declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is adescription of my invention suificient to enable those skilled in the art to practise it.

My improvements are adapted both for hand and power-looms; and consist in the employment of a hollow cam-shaft or sleeve, within which the main shaft revolves, each of these shafts having its own indepemlent bearings or supports, and each having movements independent ofthe other; also, in a novel construction O fJjournaLboX, adapted for such bearings; also, vin a peculiar arrangement of the lever clutches which actuate the cams, so that one lever shall, as the lay moves back, canse the depression of the h eddle, and the lever, as it moves ibrward, shall relieve it of such depression; also, in the combination, with such clutch-levers, of adjustable clutches, so that the shed may, at option, be kept open a greater or less pcriotLof time, as may be required for dilferent kinds of work, and, lastly, iu tbeemployment of chains, in connection with sprocket-wl-ieels on the main shaft .and on the tappet-shaft, to impart positive motions to thelatter, in the proper direction and at the proper periods, without the use of a series of 'cog-wheels, and avoiding the friction and loss of power incident thereto. In the drawings- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a handl loom embodying my-improvemcnt."

Figure 2 is a View ot .the main shaft and the carnshai't or sleeve, the latter partly in section, showing,

.also the-box and its double bean ings, the clutches and clutch-levers,and the t1"eadle-cams.

Figure 3 is aside view of a treadleieam, and-the treadles and treadle-lifts.

Figures 4 and 5 are views in detail ofthe sprocketwheel and chain-connection between the mahrshaft and the tappet-shaft, and of the latter in relation to the lever which actuates the pcker-staves.

A represents the loom-trame.

B, the main shaft, t.

C, thelay.

D, theupright frame which supports the harness.

Without describing those parts common to looms in general, I shall now describe those parts which constitute my present improvements, and their relation to the other parts.

'lhe main shaft B (which is driven by means of the chain E', actuating a sprocket-wheel on said shalt) is supported in bearings G, (see fi". 2,) in the boxes H, the same boxes each having, also, a larger bearing, I, but concentric with H, to receive and sustain the hollow shaft o1' sleeve J, which carries the clutches and cams, the latter heilig permanently allixed to the sleeve. The bore of this sleeve is considerably greater than the diameter of' the shaft B, so that there is never any contact or friction between them.

The part K, of the clutch, is annular, and surrounds the sleeve so that it may play freely thereon, and itis connected with an arm or lever, L, preferably cast integral with it, the outer end of the lever being pivoted to a pitman, P, whose other end is connected with and actuated by the lay, the lay itself being actuated by the pitmen Q, Q, from the fly-wheels lt R, placed, 'respectively, on the opposite ends ofthe main shaft.

O represents a spring upon the sleeve J, between the box H and the clutch K, and which exerts a constant pressure upon saidclutch, tending to force it int-o connection with clutch M, a similar spring heilig employed for each ofthe clutg-hes K.

A set-screw, N, serves to adjust the clutches M upon the sleeve in any position desired, and thereby permit such a change, as to the period wheu'the loose clutch shall actuate it, as to keep opi-u the shed a greateror .lesser duration of time, as may be demanded by the different kinds of yarns en'iployed, and fabric to be woven.

'l`he clutch-levers L, I place so that they shall be on opposite sides ol the shaft, one being above, while the other is beneath it, whereby, when one of the loose clutches moves backward, to give an intermittent partial revolution to the sleeve and cams, the other loose uclutch is turning on its axis in Ythe reverse direction, and is not at that stage actuating the cams. The clutch-levers thus act alternately to drive the camshaft, causing itl to revolve a quarter-revolution at each backward and forward movement of the hatten, and

brhwiiw each leaf or section of the cam sucoessivel t D D y to operate upon the treadles.

In the construction and arrangement of clutches above described, (each clutch having four equidis when the hatten ,commences to move backward, one of the loose clutches engages with its fellow tight one, and turns the cam-shaft, bringing one section of the cam on its t-readle, and depressing it, thereby opening the shed for the shuttle to pass through, while the other one is turning on its shaft in a reverse direction, and is not at this stage actuating the shaft; but when the hatten starts forward, it engages, at the proper Itime, with its fellow tightclutch, and gives' the shaft another partial revolution in the same direction,which thus suddenly brings the cam off the treadle, and closes the shed. I

After a cam shall have fully depressed "its heddle- 'theoperaton is because some lever, it remains at rest, holding the lever down and the shed open, until the batten has nearly completed its forward motion to beat up the lillino.

The reason for keeping `open the shed for a determinate period, and of providing means whereby the time when it shall be opened, the length of time it shall remain open, and the time at which it shall be closed, may all he varied and controlled at the will of kinds of warps require to be held open longer, in order properly to beat up the filling, Others require to be held open less, so that there may be more rubbing or abrasion of the wal-ps, to 'roughen them, and produce thereby a cer tain finish found desirable in some kinds of fabrics.

It is highly important, and especially in weaving woollen goods, that the shed should be kept open as long as possible, and then quickly closed just as the hatten is about.- to b eat up the filling. My devices, herein described, admit ofaccomplishing this in all cases, and also afford means for varying such period of abrupt closing ofthe shed to suit the particular character of the work.

By means of the set-screws N, this period may be varied as desired. (lne of the loose clutches performs the duty of knocking` olf or freeing the cani from the treadles, and the other gives all the remainder of the revolution to the cam-shaft.

The sectional cams, and also the lifts on the heddlelevers, I so construct as to insure a perfect freedom for each treadle, after it has been depressed, to rise instantly, without being checkcdor arrested in its `effort to rise by the cam itself.

Instead of driving the picker-actuating tappet-shaft lfrom the main sha-ft, by means of a train of gearwheels, which greatlyincrease the friction and mult-iply the we: and thel oiling required, or else (if but two in number) must be of very large and oumbrous size,in order to engage with each other, and must also drive thetappet-shaft in a direction -the reverse of that of the main shaft, I employ a chain, passing from a sprocket-wheel, U, on the, main shaft, to another sprocket-wheel, V, having double the number of teeth, and affixed to the tappet-shaft. By this means` I insure a certain and positive action of the tappets, and one revolution of the tappet-shaft to two of the main shaft, and the revolution of both shafts in the same direction, without employing an intermediate whcel,`and also avoid the wearing away of the oog-teeth, and the accumulation of dust, oil, and fibre between the teeth.

Common gas-pipe I find adapted the hollow shafts or sleeves J.

By my construction, I dispense with a great deal `of mechanism hitherto employed tooperate the heddles and` shuttle, and simplify the loom very materially, and reduce its cost. The loom is, also, in consequence, more easily managed and kept in order, and its capacity is increased, both as to the range and character of the woven products.

rIhe loom may be reversed in its mot-ions, and will operate equally well, whichever way the main shaft may be revolved.

I claim- A hollow' cam-shaft, within which the main shaft revolves, each shaft having its own independent hearings or supports, and cach having movements independent of the other, substantially as described.

Also, thc journal-boxes H, constructed cach of a single piece, provided with two concentric bearings, of different sizes, in combination with a hollow calnshaft, within which revolves another' shaft, substantially as shown and described.

Also, the arrangement ofthe lever-clntches K Il, on opposite sides of the cam-shaft, and so that as one ofthe clutches moves hack, it shall partially revolve the camfor the making of shaft,i andcause one` of the leaves of the cam to depress a heddle, and as the other clutch moves forward, it shall, by al further movement of the shaft, relieve the heddle of such depression, substantially as set forth.

Also, in combination with the lever-clutchesarranged on opposite sides of the shaft, the adjustable clutches M H, by means of which 'the shed may be kept open agri-atei' or lesser period, at option.

Also, the combination of the main shaft with the reversibletappet-shaft, which impart the picker-movements, by means of-a chain and sprocket-wheels upon the shafts, substantially as described.

JESSE L. BRANSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. HALsTED, J. F. BEALE. 

